June/July 2017

President Trump surprised and dismayed supporters of the U.S. Coast Guard in late February by proposing a $1.3 billion cut in the service’s funding while recommending a 10 percent increase in defense spending.

The increase in dangerous incidents between recreational and commercial vessels on U.S. waterways has resulted in new safety recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) based on an investigation into the scope of the problem.

Professional Mariner has presented the 2017 Samuel Plimsoll Awards for Outstanding Service to two marine pilots whose actions minimized the danger posed by an oil tanker ablaze in the Houston Ship Channel, and to a training provider that has implemented a collaborative simulation program to improve the navigation skills of mariners.

Maritime leaders are concerned about proposed cuts in President Donald Trump’s initial fiscal 2018 budget, fearing that programs essential to U.S. ports and the inland waterways system will be eliminated or severely cut back.

The cruise ship Carnival Pride rammed a Baltimore Harbor pier because the staff captain allowed the vessel to approach too fast and at too steep an angle, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

As vessels become more crammed with electronics and dependent on sophisticated technology and connections, there are more ways for bad actors to inflict damage, with consequences that are not only economic but that impact operations and safety as well.